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Everything I’ve Learned About Motherhood [From My Single-Parent Dad]
Motherhood is amazing and the devotion you encounter is staggeringly strong. But when you’re in the eye of the shitstorm, veering between love and lunacy, wondering how this tiny, adorable human can wreak so much bedlam in your life, I believe you need a robust sense of humour to help save your sanity.
For Zeena Moolla, the early days of being a new mum were a heady cocktail of sleepless nights, acid reflux and aching boobs. But finding the funny in the chaos buffered so much of the stress. And she has her dad to thank…
Being brought up solely by a single dad, one of a foreign, Muslim background, exemplified beautifully that parenting and families come in all different shapes and sizes. His massive-hearted parenting shaped the kind of mother Zeena is, and as the funniest person she knows, he can also turn any situation around with warmth, wit and a cheese sandwich. If that’s not a vital skill in parenting, then what is?
With top tips for surviving sleep-deprivation (spoiler alert: embrace a cantankerous mood and don’t buy crap coffee) to dealing with judgy idiots, getting to grips with shitty mum-guilt and returning to work, Zeena will show you that motherhood won’t just get better, it’ll be incredible.
Laugh-out-loud funny, honest, tender and packed with real life advice – this is essential reading for every new mother not cherishing every moment, feeling like a misfit or simply finding this parenting lark all too much.
For Zeena Moolla, the early days of being a new mum were a heady cocktail of sleepless nights, acid reflux and aching boobs. But finding the funny in the chaos buffered so much of the stress. And she has her dad to thank…
Being brought up solely by a single dad, one of a foreign, Muslim background, exemplified beautifully that parenting and families come in all different shapes and sizes. His massive-hearted parenting shaped the kind of mother Zeena is, and as the funniest person she knows, he can also turn any situation around with warmth, wit and a cheese sandwich. If that’s not a vital skill in parenting, then what is?
With top tips for surviving sleep-deprivation (spoiler alert: embrace a cantankerous mood and don’t buy crap coffee) to dealing with judgy idiots, getting to grips with shitty mum-guilt and returning to work, Zeena will show you that motherhood won’t just get better, it’ll be incredible.
Laugh-out-loud funny, honest, tender and packed with real life advice – this is essential reading for every new mother not cherishing every moment, feeling like a misfit or simply finding this parenting lark all too much.
- GenresNonfiction
189 pages, Kindle Edition
Published February 24, 2021
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Displaying 1 - 7 of 8 reviews
February 12, 2021
I always wanted to read books about motherhood but I never knew where to start. I wanted to get introduced to this experience through the pages of a book before I decide if I ever want myself introduced to it in real life. Finding this book available on NetGalley was THE dream. I couldn't just ignore its existence and go on with my life. I literally started reading it during my finals and I have no regrets.
In this book, Zeena Moola shares with us the intricacies of parenting based both on her and her father's experiences. In these few pages she breaks all the stigma around being a new mom and crushes all the stereotypes society has built over the centuries. She discusses the pre-established image of an ideal mother and an ideal family and she gives so many tips on how to cope with the pressure this image brings to the table. She also gives us so many ideas on how to take care of ourselves and of our marriages to make them survive the drastic change children bring to our lives. My personal favorite part though was the one where she tells us about how gender, race and class influence our experience as a mom. I think this is a really important conversation to have. I also adored how she showed us the impact her father had on her life and all the things she learned from him in every single chapter. I couldn't not admire this man for being the wonderful human being he is despite everything he's been through. I honestly couldn't think of a better introduction to this delicate topic than this raw, funny and brutally honest story of two parents who had it rough in their own way. This book could have been a solid five stars for me was it not for a joke about body hair being a contraceptive and some other parts that made me uncomfortable. It is still worth every second of your time and I highly recommend it.
In this book, Zeena Moola shares with us the intricacies of parenting based both on her and her father's experiences. In these few pages she breaks all the stigma around being a new mom and crushes all the stereotypes society has built over the centuries. She discusses the pre-established image of an ideal mother and an ideal family and she gives so many tips on how to cope with the pressure this image brings to the table. She also gives us so many ideas on how to take care of ourselves and of our marriages to make them survive the drastic change children bring to our lives. My personal favorite part though was the one where she tells us about how gender, race and class influence our experience as a mom. I think this is a really important conversation to have. I also adored how she showed us the impact her father had on her life and all the things she learned from him in every single chapter. I couldn't not admire this man for being the wonderful human being he is despite everything he's been through. I honestly couldn't think of a better introduction to this delicate topic than this raw, funny and brutally honest story of two parents who had it rough in their own way. This book could have been a solid five stars for me was it not for a joke about body hair being a contraceptive and some other parts that made me uncomfortable. It is still worth every second of your time and I highly recommend it.
June 9, 2021
Disclosure. This post is a review of an e-book I received for free. All opinions are my own.
I just knew this was going to be a fun read from the opening sentence and I was correct. Let me share that opener with you, it is a quote from Zeena’s beloved papa, a South African-Indian Muslim who brought her and her siblings up as a single parent, juggling working and parenting.
‘You know Zeena, I raised THREE children without any “fancy-pants” book!’
The book skips back and forth between when Zeena was a new mum and the parenting style of her papa, interspersed with motherhood now that Zeena’s children are aged 8 and 6.
It is both humorous and doesn’t leave out the swear words. Never mind the parenting manuals, this is the book for new mums to read. It encompasses plenty of top tips plus a chapter addressing racism in the world of Instagram mumfluencers. Such a fun parenting book.
I just knew this was going to be a fun read from the opening sentence and I was correct. Let me share that opener with you, it is a quote from Zeena’s beloved papa, a South African-Indian Muslim who brought her and her siblings up as a single parent, juggling working and parenting.
‘You know Zeena, I raised THREE children without any “fancy-pants” book!’
The book skips back and forth between when Zeena was a new mum and the parenting style of her papa, interspersed with motherhood now that Zeena’s children are aged 8 and 6.
It is both humorous and doesn’t leave out the swear words. Never mind the parenting manuals, this is the book for new mums to read. It encompasses plenty of top tips plus a chapter addressing racism in the world of Instagram mumfluencers. Such a fun parenting book.
July 17, 2022
Funny and darkly comedic yet also profound and poignant in the strength of the love present in those bonds...
This is the book I would've wanted to read before becoming a mother. This is the 'true' reality of motherhood with a baby I wish I'd known about (rather than discovering it first-hand while having not a clue, LOL). The author writes with candid humour and with wit yet also with heart, because she wants you to remember you are also a person underneath all this, and you need to also honour that person.
On another level is the beautiful bond between a daughter and her father - I'd have read this book just to catch 'that' story, of a man with a heart of gold who always let love drive his life and his path in raising his kids single-handedly.
This is a book to relish and yes, sometimes it does get cringe-worthy, but frankly, from the trenches of early motherhood, all that is very real and resonates so much!
Read this book before having a baby/when you're even contemplating having a baby - it's well worth it!
*review copy provided by the publisher via Netgalley - all opinions are my own honest takes*
This is the book I would've wanted to read before becoming a mother. This is the 'true' reality of motherhood with a baby I wish I'd known about (rather than discovering it first-hand while having not a clue, LOL). The author writes with candid humour and with wit yet also with heart, because she wants you to remember you are also a person underneath all this, and you need to also honour that person.
On another level is the beautiful bond between a daughter and her father - I'd have read this book just to catch 'that' story, of a man with a heart of gold who always let love drive his life and his path in raising his kids single-handedly.
This is a book to relish and yes, sometimes it does get cringe-worthy, but frankly, from the trenches of early motherhood, all that is very real and resonates so much!
Read this book before having a baby/when you're even contemplating having a baby - it's well worth it!
*review copy provided by the publisher via Netgalley - all opinions are my own honest takes*
July 24, 2021
Not what I expected
This is more about Zeena's parenting of her own children. I was hoping for more stories of her own unusual childhood; having myself
grown up with a single Dad in the 1970's. It is really directed at new parents but still an amusing read.
This is more about Zeena's parenting of her own children. I was hoping for more stories of her own unusual childhood; having myself
grown up with a single Dad in the 1970's. It is really directed at new parents but still an amusing read.
July 25, 2021
In places this book was laugh out loud funny. It is not advisable to read it on the train. It's a long time since my children were small, but it still resonated. I felt it went on a bit long though and went off the subject at times. I wasn't familiar with all the English slang and the Instagram stuff was irrelevant to me - I've never done Instagram. The chapter near the end on husbands was priceless though.
March 7, 2021
I was provided with a free copy of this book via NetGalley for review purposes. Thank you to NetGalley, the publishers and the author.
This non-fiction is a tongue in cheek, funny guide to motherhood that is influenced by the author's relationship with her father, who raised 3 kids by himself. The advice Zeena Moolla gives is more about not judging people and doing what feels right than it is specific advice. I don't have kids, nor do I plan on having any any time soon, but I still really enjoyed this book because her sense of humour is great and it was at times laugh out loud funny.
The author's relationship with her father really shines through and it was such a joy to read about.
I rated this 4/5 stars as I found it to be a teensy bit repetitive at times which is what stops it being a 5 star read. That being said, it's quite short so that wasn't a huge problem.
If you are looking for something that is light hearted and fun but also wholesome and heartwarming, read this book.
This non-fiction is a tongue in cheek, funny guide to motherhood that is influenced by the author's relationship with her father, who raised 3 kids by himself. The advice Zeena Moolla gives is more about not judging people and doing what feels right than it is specific advice. I don't have kids, nor do I plan on having any any time soon, but I still really enjoyed this book because her sense of humour is great and it was at times laugh out loud funny.
The author's relationship with her father really shines through and it was such a joy to read about.
I rated this 4/5 stars as I found it to be a teensy bit repetitive at times which is what stops it being a 5 star read. That being said, it's quite short so that wasn't a huge problem.
If you are looking for something that is light hearted and fun but also wholesome and heartwarming, read this book.
February 21, 2021
This book is not for the 'know it all mothers' this is comedy gold with a little advice thrown in!
Zeena portrays Motherhood as not a walk in the park others make it out to be. But a real life change that it is! It is okay to feel anxious, I hope this book helps any new mother that reads it!
This will be my go to bible when I have children and am feeling down. That and a long phone call to Zeena's dad. He is amazing!
Zeena portrays Motherhood as not a walk in the park others make it out to be. But a real life change that it is! It is okay to feel anxious, I hope this book helps any new mother that reads it!
This will be my go to bible when I have children and am feeling down. That and a long phone call to Zeena's dad. He is amazing!
Displaying 1 - 7 of 8 reviews